Stoney Creek - Burnaby BC

Saturday, May 12, 2012, was the 23rd annual Great Salmon Send-Off. Thanks to all the volunteers, supporters and organizers. For more videos, see Les Leighton's YouTube site.

Invitation to UniverCity Phase 4 Community Open House

When: Tuesday, May 15: 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Where: SFU Community Trust Boardroom, Cornerstone Building: 150 - 8960 University High Street

SFU Community Trust is moving forward with Phase 4 of development at UniverCity in the area known as the South Slopes neighbourhood, currently located in Parking Lot G. A rezoning application to subdivide the South Slopes neighbourhood into eight parcels of land for development and one parcel of land designated as a neighbourhood park has been put forward to the City of Burnaby and will go to Public Hearing on May 29.

Residents are invited to a Community Open House in advance of the Public Hearing to talk with SFU Community Trust staff about the proposed plans and provide input for the next phase of development at UniverCity. For those who cannot attend, questions and input can be provided by email to info@univercity.ca. A summary of the input received will be provided to council at the Public Hearing. 


Public Hearings take place at the Council Chamber at City Hall at 7 p.m. For those who cannot attend, written submissions must be received at the City Clerk's Office by 4:45 p.m. on the day of the Public Hearing.

Endangered Nooksack dace in Stoney Creek may disappear if the Budget Bill 38 passes as written. 43 little words in section 165 of the 450 page document give the National Energy Board the power to ignore the Species at Risk Act in favour of energy projects like the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion.

165. Section 77 of the Act is amended by
adding the following after subsection (1):
(1.1) Subsection (1) does not apply to the
National Energy Board when it issues a
certificate under an order made under subsection
54(1) of the National Energy Board Act.

Section 77 currently reads:

77. (1) Despite any other Act of Parliament,
any person or body, other than a competent
minister, authorized under any Act of Parliament,
other than this Act, to issue or approve a
licence, a permit or any other authorization that
authorizes an activity that may result in the destruction
of any part of the critical habitat of a
listed wildlife species may enter into, issue, approve
or make the authorization only if the person
or body has consulted with the competent
minister, has considered the impact on the
species’ critical habitat and is of the opinion
that
(a) all reasonable alternatives to the activity
that would reduce the impact on the species’
critical habitat have been considered and the
best solution has been adopted; and

(b) all feasible measures will be taken to
minimize the impact of the activity on the
species’ critical habitat.

The Stoney Creek Environment Committee supports the "Save Canada's Environmental Laws" petition by West Coast Environmental Law and others. Please sign the petition now.

Justice Minister Rob Nicholson today announced changes to the Criminal Code to be added to the current Budget Bill 38. Following Fisheries Minister Ashfield's success in streamlining the Fisheries Act, he said, "We want to adopt a sensible and practical approach to protecting citizens from harm while minimizing the number of frivolous cases that are clogging our court system. We have heard from Canadians across the country that the current rules defining assault go beyond their intended protection goals."

Sub-Sections 265 (1) (a), (b), (c) of the Code are repealed. Section 265 (1) is amended by adding

"without the consent of another person, he applies force intentionally to that other person causing permanent physical injury."

The current definition in the Criminal Code
Assault
265. (1) A person commits an assault when

(a) without the consent of another person, he applies force intentionally to that other person, directly or indirectly;

(b) he attempts or threatens, by an act or a gesture, to apply force to another person, if he has, or causes that other person to believe on reasonable grounds that he has, present ability to effect his purpose; or

(c) while openly wearing or carrying a weapon or an imitation thereof, he accosts or impedes another person or begs.

Students from the Outdoor-Environmental Education class at Burnaby Mountain Secondary School are helping monitor water quality in Stoney Creek. They take samples once or twice a week for later analysis.